Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Coronavirus

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the role of ultrafast full fibre broadband to the economic recovery after the covid-19 outbreak; and what progress his Department has made on the rollout of that service.

Matt Warman: World class digital connectivity is key to the UK economy and the Government remains committed to delivering nationwide gigabit-capable and full fibre broadband as soon as possible.A recent study commissioned by Ofcom finds that investment in broadband has had significant benefits to the UK economy and that increased connectivity has a positive relationship with economic growth and productivity. Furthermore a study undertaken for Cityfibre has predicted that the total economic impact of deploying ‘full fibre’ (FTTP) broadband networks across 100 distinct UK city and towns, could reach £120 billion over a 15 year period. In addition, work commissioned by the NIC estimated net benefits from investment in FTTP with 100% coverage of up to £28 billion (in present value terms) by 2050. This is before taking account of the potential for FTTP to deliver wider economic benefits, for example, improvements in productivity. Good progress has been made over the past year. The latest Ofcom figures demonstrate full fibre coverage has increased to 3.5 million premises (or 12% of the UK), and by 1.5 million premises in the past year. Estimates of gigabit coverage are even higher at over 20% of UK premises, as a result of Virgin Media’s upgrades of its existing network. The Government is taking action to further reduce barriers to broadband deployment, including through the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold) Property Bill, which will make it easier to connect properties where there is an unresponsive landlord. The department is also committed to investing £5 billion to deliver nationwide gigabit-capable coverage to the hardest to reach parts of the country, so that no areas are left behind.

Department of Health and Social Care

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the covid-19 testing of asymptomatic people to residents and staff in (a) extra care facilities, (b) retirement villages and (c) other housing-with-care facilities.

Helen Whately: We have written to Directors of Public Health to ask them to help us determine which supported living and extra care settings in their areas should be able to access testing based on a risk-based criterion. Retirement villages and other housing-with-care facilities are not currently in scope to be tested. Our testing strategy is based on guidance from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and Public Health England.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the guidance provided to local authorities on prioritising care home referrals for covid-19 testing.

Helen Whately: On 5 June Ros Roughton, Director General, Adult Social Care, wrote to Directors of Public Health and Directors of Adult Social Services. The criteria of prioritisation were:Care homes referred to the Department by Public Health England because they have had a new outbreak;Care homes that have over 50 beds;Care homes with 25-50 beds;And then all other care homes.

Coronavirus: Social Distancing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the level of public observance of the two metre guidance on social distancing; and what estimate he has made of the potential level of observance of social distancing guidance if that guidance is reduced to one metre.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



The Government commissioned a review into the 2m social distancing rule and took advice from a range of experts. We recognise it isn’t always possible to stay 2m away from others all the time in all settings and workplaces, and we have seen a continuous fall in the number of cases, infections and deaths. That’s why, from 4 July, our advice changed to ‘1m plus’ – which is one metre plus mitigations – where people cannot stay 2m apart. The Government expects people to continue to comply with the guidance as set out by the Government and do what is right for their families, the NHS and the community to stay as safe as possible and to avoid a second peak.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produce a regular social survey to help the Government better understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people, households and communities in Great Britain and who is following the guidance. The latest published survey findings indicate that when meeting up with other people over a half of adults (55%) always maintained social distancing, with just over 1 in 20 (6%) saying they rarely or never maintained social distancing. The full ONS published survey results can be accessed by following this link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/coronavirusandthesocialimpactsongreatbritain/17july2020#main-points.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve the supply of testing kits to care homes, (b) put in place a system which allows for testing kits to routinely and automatically be provided to care homes at regular intervals; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current application process for covid-19 tests for a care home.

Helen Whately: The Department has rolled out whole home testing to all care homes registered on the portal. Since its launch we have been able to provide whole home testing to over 13,500 care homes in England.On routine testing, we have launched this in care homes from 3 July. From 6 July onwards, we will start to roll out weekly testing of staff and testing of residents every 28 days in all care homes without outbreaks through Pillar 2. Bank, agency and visiting staff such as social workers and Allied Health Professionals working in care homes should be included in the weekly staff tests in care homes.

Special Educational Needs: Visits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to enable family visitation and contact for people with special educational needs who are in full-time care.

Helen Whately: Throughout this pandemic it has been our priority to protect care home staff and residents.We understand the significant challenges visiting limitations place on care homes and the difficulties faced by many families and residents who want to see their loved ones, but the safety of residents must come first. All our guidance is designed with care users in mind, to ensure that individuals are treated with dignity and respect and that their particular needs are addressed.The Government published guidance for England on visiting care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic on 22 July 2020. This guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times the Social Care Taskforce has met; and when the minutes of its meetings will be published.

Helen Whately: Since being commissioned, the Social Care Taskforce has met on 18 June and 1 July. A third meeting is due to take place on 15 July. A fourth meeting is due to take place on 29 July.The Department for Health and Social Care shares summaries of topics discussed through regular communications with adult social care stakeholders.

Care Homes: Closures

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many care homes have closed since the 2016-17 financial year; and how many beds were lost as a result of those closures.

Helen Whately: The following tables show how many care homes have closed since 1 April 2016 and the associated number of beds. It is important to note that when a care home closes, the service may continue but under a new registration due to a legal entity change, address change, or a change in the provider. The data obtained from the Care Quality Commission is accurate as of 22 July 2020..Number of Care Home Locations by Deactivation TypeTotal Number of Care Home LocationsFinancial Year of DeactivationLocation deactivated through enforcementLocation deactivated voluntarily2016/20171131,3791,4922017/2018981,0941,1922018/2019859161,0012019/2020698278962020/202124246270Total3894,4624, 851 Number of Beds by Deactivation TypeTotal Number of BedsFinancial Year of DeactivationLocation deactivated through enforcementLocation deactivated voluntarily2016/20172,75640,49343,2492017/20182,53830,62533,1632018/20192,17822,10824,2862019/20201,57521,68623,2612020/20215216,9507,471Total9568121,862131,430

Mental Health Services: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health of NHS workers in North Wales during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: Health is a devolved matter so this would be a matter for the Welsh government.

Disability: Coronavirus

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Care Act easements during the covid-19 outbreak on disabled people in receipt of social care.

Helen Whately: The Department is working with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact on individuals, including disabled people, of the changes to Care Act 2014 duties. TLAP and ADASS have engaged local authorities operating under easements to understand what this means for adults with care and support needs. A TLAP Insight Group has been meeting regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers. These findings will be published at the following link:https://www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/covid-19/tlap-insight-group/

Autism: Care Homes

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue updated guidance to residential homes on caring for autistic adults as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



We recognise the particular challenges autistic people and their families are facing at this time, due to the impact of social distancing measures and disruption to their usual activities.Throughout this pandemic it has been our priority to protect care home staff and residents. All our guidance is designed with care users in mind, to ensure that individuals are treated with dignity and respect and that their particular needs are addressed.On 19 June, we published our updated guidance for care homes, which includes information on testing for residents and staff, and isolation procedures. On 22 July 2020 the Government published updated guidance on visiting arrangements for care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is applicable to all nursing and care homes and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus. We keep our policies under continuous review based on the emerging international and domestic evidence.

Social Services: Badges

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the supply of CARE badges to social care staff.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 15 July 2020



Since the Secretary of State’s announcement around 15,000 badges have been distributed at no cost to social care providers or members of the workforce.To increase supply, additional badges of recognition have been procured by government and we expect to be able to start distribution of these badges shortly. Details of how they will be distributed to people working in social care will be available in due course.

Travel: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding essential NHS laboratory workers to the list of those travellers exempt from border rules when entering into the UK.

Helen Whately: Any NHS laboratory worker who is working within a registered profession will be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate on return to the UK if needed to complete essential work within 14 days of their arrival. In addition, the Government eased the need to self-isolate on arrival in England if travelling from a country or territory with a travel corridor, as long as the individual has not transited through or visited a country without a travel corridor within 14 days. In this instance, any member of staff, regardless of registration, is not required to self-isolate on their return. We continue to keep this position under review.

Travel: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of requiring essential NHS workers to quarantine upon entering the UK on (a) staff numbers and (b) patient services.

Helen Whately: As of 31 July, all health and care workers entering the UK from non-exempt countries or territories will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. This is to ensure consistency with the general public and to protect public health and the wider healthcare sector. Those returning from an exempt country or territory will, however, not be required to self-isolate. We continue to keep this position under review to ensure consistency with current evidence and developments.

Doctors: Pensions

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to further reform and simplify the annual allowance for NHS doctors' pensions to prevent financial penalties for working.

Helen Whately: The Chancellor announced changes to the annual allowance taper thresholds in the March 2020 budget.Following the changes, no one with net income before tax below £200,000 will be caught by the tapered annual allowance. We estimate that this will take up to 96% of general practitioners and up to 98% of National Health Service consultants outside the scope of the taper. Those who still experience tapering are the very highest earners in the NHS.We are continuing to work with NHS Employers to ensure that NHS staff have access to information and advice about their pensions.

Social Services: Recruitment

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for the recruitment of new social care staff after the implementation of the points-based immigration system in January 2021.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



It is the Government’s long-term ambition to recruit more people into social care to meet the future needs of society. In the short term, in order to attract people into social care now, we launched a new national recruitment campaign, ‘Care for others; Make a difference’, which ran across broadcast, digital and social media. We have also launched a new online platform to fast-track recruitment into the adult social care sector, which will sit alongside the many local initiatives that have been put in place to recruit staff.The new Health and Care visa will make it cheaper, quicker and easier for eligible social care professions such as social workers, occupational therapists and nurses from around the world to come to work the United Kingdom. In addition all social care workers will now be permanently exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance to residential care homes on visitor access to residents; and whether he plans to remove restrictions on care home visitors when shielding is lifted at the beginning of August 2020.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The Government published guidance on visiting care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic on 22 July 2020. This guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Care Homes: Northern Ireland

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of the resumption of visits to care homes in Northern Ireland and the existing guidance for England on that matter.

Helen Whately: The resumption of visits to care homes in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.The Government works in close collaboration with the devolved administrations to share and stay up to date with the latest advice and policy developments.We are aware that limiting visits in care homes is difficult for many families and residents who want to see their loved ones.The Government published guidance for England on visiting care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic on 22 July 2020. This guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make available to local councils summary data on the number of positive results for covid-19 in each care home.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



Public Health England is providing Directors of Public Health with fully identifiable positive test data, updated daily, that has a ‘linked to care home’ flag. This allows the Director of Public Health to know when there is a link between the positive test and a care home.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will give care homes discretion to decide on the best use of funding allocated under the Infection Control Fund.

Helen Whately: The £600 million Infection Control Fund was set up to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission in and between care homes and support wider workforce resilience. It provides funds in addition to the £3.7 billion of general funding provided to local authorities, which can be used to support adult social care. Public Health England advice is that one of the key mitigations against transmission was through restricting staff movements between care homes wherever feasible. Taking this advice and feedback from care providers regarding workforce costs into account, care home providers may use the fund to support the implementation of a new set of measures. These measures also include paying staff full pay to isolate, and other infection control matters as set out in the grant determination. Local authorities have greater discretion over the use of 25% of the funding, which may be used on other COVID-19 infection control measures.

Women and Equalities

Equality: Coronavirus

Drew Hendry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who have been requested to shield during the covid-19 outbreak do not face discrimination in relation to employment retention by their employers.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government is actively monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on the labour market and will continue to do so.Any employee who considers that their dismissal was unfair, whether for a reason related to Covid-19 or otherwise, can complain to an employment tribunal, subject to a qualifying period of continuous service of 2 years. Guidance on what constitutes unfair dismissal or pressure to come into work if you are shielding is available from ACAS: Coronavirus: shielding and vulnerable people.

Equality

Patrick Grady: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what equality impact assessments have been undertaken on the differential effect of No Recourse to Public Funds in relation to (a) race and (b) other protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Kemi Badenoch: The Home Office reviewed the policy on removing the No Recourse to Public Funds condition in relation to race and other protected characteristics earlier this year. A Policy Equality Statement was published in April and placed on GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/880531/Policy_Equality_Statement__PES__21_April_2020.pdf